Imbed with innumerous canals and rivulets, the vast water bodies of Chalanbeel might turn to a busy tourist spot during the monsoon.
Situated under nine upazilas of Sirajganj, Pabna and Natore districts, the Chalanbeel looks like a wide sea as water of the the rivers Atrai, Gur, Baranoi, Boral, Tulsi, Chenchua, Bhadaiand Gumani pours into this beel during the rain and flood. The Chalanbeel is regarded as one of the largest sweet water reservoirs of the country.
People living around and inside the Chalnbeel villages informed by developing infrastructures including Motels and arranging of voyage on boats the vast Chalanbeel waterbodies covering some 12,000 square miles of areas of Tarash, Raiganj, Ullapara, Shajadpur upazilas of Sirajganj district, Singra, Guruadaspur upazilas of Natore district and Bonwarinagar, Faridpur, Chatmohar and Bhangura upazilas of Pabna and Sirajganj districts would turn to busy tourists' hubs.
In addition to the beauty of vast expanse of water of the beel, the tourists of the beel would be able to visit and watch some historical sites situated in the villages of Chalanbeel. The sites are- Radha Govida Temple, Shiba Temple, Mathura Dighi, Boro Kunjobon, Ulipur Dighi, the remains of Tarash Rajbari, Shishu Park and Bouddha Bihar at Tarash upazila.
According to a wall script inscribed in 1661 on Jore Bangla Bhaban it is learnt one Kayastha Brahmin belonged to Nag sect was the caretaker of the Gopinath temple. The artistic decoration on the walls of all temples of the upazila, the well of Behula at Binasara, Houses of her father Basia Bania Saodagar, the palace of Roy Bahadur, the Mausoleum of saint Shah Sharif Zindani( Rs) are all the attractive spots for the visitors.
On the other hand Jamindar Palace of Shitlai, Shahi Mosque of Chatmohar, Chalanbeel Museum of Gurudaspur, Petro Bangla and Tishi Khali Mausoleum of Singra and the fishing spots including the dried frish sites inside the chalanbeel villages are all attractive spots for the nature loving people and the historians.
Elderly Abdul Majid of Chalanbeel area informed during the full monsoo, the miles long chalanbeel looks like a vast expanse of ocean with its huge waves in water while during the dry season, the entire area is filled with green paddy plants.
He added, Chalanbeel would turn to an attractive tourist spot during the monsoon.
Sonaton Das, President of Tarash Press Club informed the vast Chalanbeel is being squeezed years after years with the nasty claws of illegal land grabbers and the encorachers. He demanded to reexcavate 12 rivers flowing through the Chalanbeel, eviction of illegal land grabbers and encroachers and to turn the vast region into a busy tourist
hub under Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation.
Professor M Atiqul Islam Bulbul, Chairman of Magura Binode UP under Tarash upazila said the movement of boat through the Chalanbeel has been decreased due to construction of road through the Chalanbeel.
He lamented that many researchers, political personalities and famed persons are seen to visit the Chalanbeel but none of them are seen to visit this historical beel to save its environment and its traditional assets.
